A very important part of properly executing the golf swing is the correct amount of grip pressure. The average golfer tends to grip the club too tightly, exerting excessive force on the club which is detrimental to accuracy and distance that the golf ball travels. It is therefore desirable to have a training device which will teach the golfer not to grip the club too tightly. When practicing with a relaxed grip the golfer can, by muscle-memory, develop the beneficial habit of a more relaxed golf grip pressure to increase his skill in playing the game.
There have been various attempts in the art for creating golf grip pressure training systems to improve a golfer's play of the game. These systems are primarily in the form of training gloves which include a sensory feedback mechanism such as an electronic pressure pad or other sensory measurement device. Some prior art pressure recognition devices are connected to an output signaling device such as a light-emitting lamp or sound alarm. Examples of these devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,201 entitled “Golf Training Glove” issued to Caldwell et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0194668 by Kwon entitled “Functional Golf Gloves.”
While these devices may be advantageous in theory, as a practical matter the electrical circuits can be delicate and unreliable for such a rugged outdoor sports application. Furthermore, the devices require battery power which can also be unreliable and which needs to be either recharged or replaced regularly. Finally, these devices are relatively expensive and require specialty manufacturing. There is therefore a need in the art for an effective and easy to use grip pressure training device for golfers which is reliable, uncomplicated, requires no maintenance, and inexpensive to manufacture.